BOREAS TGB-12: Radon-222 Flux and Soil Carbon Data

From November 15, 1993, to August 16, 1994, the BOREAS TGB-12 team collected radon-222 flux data across Northern Study Area sites in the boreal forest. The dataset was designed to leverage local fire chronosequences, enabling calculations of carbon and nitrogen inventories in moss and mineral soil layers. Measurements of soil respiration and radiocarbon content support analysis of carbon accumulation rates and turnover in major vegetation types.

Use Cases

• Calculating soil carbon and nitrogen inventories in moss and mineral layers based on described measurement goals.
• Determining carbon input and turnover rates using data from fire chronosequences and radiocarbon analysis.
• Linking soil respiration rates to the radiocarbon age of soil CO2 as described in the methodology.
• Estimating rates of carbon accumulation in new moss growth post-fire.

Strengths

• Data collection spans a defined 9-month period from November 1993 to August 1994.
• Sampling was strategically designed around local fire chronosequences, a key feature for temporal analysis.
• Cross-platform presence on Data.gov and NASA EarthData suggests established provenance and importance.

Limitations

• Column names and data structure are unknown, limiting immediate analytical utility.
• Conflicting metadata: Data.gov lists a future 'last updated' date (2026-03-13), which is implausible and conflicts with NASA's 1994 date.
• Dataset size, row count, and specific file formats within the provided union are not detailed.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Field measurements of soil carbon inventories, soil gas concentrations, and soil respiration rates.

Time Range

1993-11-15 to 1994-08-16

Freshness

1994-08-16

Geography

BOREAS Northern Study Area (NSA) sites